Earlier today I posted pictures of the politically motivated signboard at the church that is just down the street from my house. Click here to review. Later in the day, after picking Julia up at the local Minnesotans United for All Families, where she’s been volunteering many hours a week, and dropping her off to be an Election Judge, on my way to Vote No Twice, I saw this:

Coon Rapids, Minnesota

This wonderful woman was standing out in the rain across from the largest Megachurch in the area and in front of my local Baptist church, right next to their sign board, on public property, with this home made sign. For context, here’s a shot from farther back:

This woman is a hero!

This all happened fairly quickly and we have local issues with train tracks and one way streets, so I zipped by her and went and voted, then rushed back to the scene, always staying under the speed limit and driving safely, and pulled into the church parking lot. I went over to her, asked permission to get the picture, thanked her for her service, and asked if I could get her a cup of coffee at the nearby Caribou. She declined the coffee … she lives very nearby and has some support. So, I took off.

(Dear neighbor with sign, if you read this, that offer for a cup of coffee is permanent, any time. I live in the grayish townhouses you can see from 113th, the one with the “vote no” sign. Sadly, the only one.)

And as I was taking off, I was accosted by a guy in a big-ass red pickup truck. He did not identify himself but I was left to assume he had something to do with the church. He pulled his truck over between me and my car and stared hard at me. So I went over to him.

“Can I help you?” I said.

“Did you know this is private property?”

“I pulled into empty church parking lot so I didn’t have to pull over on the side of the road in the rain,” was my lame excuse.

“Well, what really concerns me was the speed at which you pulled into the parking lot. There are children here and you …”

“Are you done?” I interrupted. I was not going fast.

“Ah, well, yes,” he replied.

“Have a nice day.”

Then I started snapping pictures of him and his truck as he drove away.

A sampling of comments I received from parishioners:
“Who is paying you?”
“What would your mother think”
“Do you have a wood stove. That’s where your sign belongs.”
“Faggot! Why don’t you play in the street?”
“Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“You look like an ass.”
“Stop the hate! Stop the hate!”
“What can we do to make you go away?”
“Do you believe in the Bible?”
Other misc:
“I’m Lutheran. I will pray for your forgiveness.”
Called a faggot, fag, queer, homo 30 times.
Flipped off 300 times.
Thumbs up and honks ~10,000 times.

Robin! We’re neighbors! I live on the same side of Hanson, up on Osage and 113th. I’m at the Caribou by Mobile right now!

There actually is a pretty progressive element to the Coon Rapids population. Morgan, with the sign, lives in town too, I think. The local, based in Coon Rapids Vote No operation facility over by the American Legion post between Northdale and the RR tracks was always well staffed by large numbers of people. Maybe you were one of them? (in which case you may have met my daughter who spend hours there.)

About this blog

The science is mostly climate change, life science, evolution, and science education. The science policy and politics is mostly about climate change and the evolution-creationism false controversy. The technology is mostly about Linux, regular normal person computer use, kids programming, and now and then, household items.

As an Anthropologist and Africanist, I often write about those topics as well.

Usually, I write about one or two topics for a while then shift to something different. This is not systematic, and has to do with context and external forces such as: Is this a presidential election year? Are we having an El Nino? Is there a fight going on somewhere about teaching creationism in a public school? Did I just get a cool new robot toy? Like that.

So, if you don't find the most recent few posts interesting, have a look at the topics below. But, of course, chances are you got here with a Google search and you'll never read this "about" thing.